The Ultrasonic Methodology Development for Liquid-Particle Flow
摘要
This chapter describes primary studies, which comprise the ultrasonic methodology development for the simultaneous measurement of average particle concentration and flow speed parameters. An overview of ultrasonic techniques is presented. The methodology is based on the ultrasonic attenuation spectroscopy and the sound speed measurement methods, supported by data science programs. The studies also include the ultrasound sensitivity to flow turbulence intensity, the characterization of rheological properties of fluids, and the detection of particle clustering and air bubbles as the third phase. The elements of the improved pulsed broadband ultrasonic attenuation spectroscopy method are studied: the experimental setup, the design of an ultrasonic pulse that is able to detect a small particle and to measure liquid-particle flow, the signal acquisition and processing, including the sound resonance effect. Experimental test results involving the water-glass particle suspensions of low particle concentrations in high-shear flow are presented. Since several effects were measured simultaneously by one ultrasonic pulse, the interpretation of the results is supported by: the acoustic theories for particulates, the damped, driven harmonic oscillator and the sediment transport theories, published results, numerical simulations in MATLAB and COMSOL Multiphysics (4D models visualizing the ultrasound waves propagation in liquid and liquid-particle suspensions).